1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video/audio output apparatus, a video/audio output method, a computer program and a storage medium, and in particular to a preferred technique used for matching playback audio with playback video.
2. Description of the Related Art
In video/audio output apparatuses capable of simultaneous playback of plural pieces of video and audio data, part of one screen sometimes gets hidden by another screen. In such a case, the audio data for each screen needs to be composed using one method or another in order to output audio. Technology concerning apparatuses for performing such processing is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 05-19729, for example.
The “image apparatus” disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 05-19729 refers to positional relationships including the size and overlap of images corresponding to input video signals or to the selection information of specific video. The audio signal synchronized with a large-size image, an image positioned in front of other images, or a selected specific image is set as a standard value, and processing is then automatically performed to reduce the amplitude of audio signals synchronized with other images.
This technology enables sound volume control of audio data corresponding to each screen to be performed automatically based on the configuration of the screen when simultaneously outputting a plurality screens. However, this technology is only for controlling the sound volume of audio data corresponding to each screen, and does not enable audio management of individual objects on each screen.
Thus, there are cases in which two objects A and B exist on a CH.1 screen, and a CH.2 screen newly overlaps the object B, such as shown in FIG. 3, for example. In such a case, audio management of individual objects is not possible with technology using a conventional method.
Consequently, there are disadvantageous times when an audio source B corresponding to the object B hidden by CH.2 and not displayed, as shown in FIG. 3, is actually output. Conventional technology thus does not enable output audio to be matched with the configuration of output video after a plurality of screens have been composed in a video/audio output apparatus that simultaneously outputs a plurality of screens.